


Tropics and Temptations

by plotholes_ahead



Category: Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: 'tis a flesh wound, Anal Sex, Blame the Melons, Blow Jobs, Dubious Consent, Explosions, Feelings, First Time, M/M, Mating, Mission Fic, Sex Pollen, Skinny Dipping, Smut, Village Myths, Xeno, but it grew legs, but no one gets names, injuries, the mission was not intended to be the plot, world building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:40:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26200513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plotholes_ahead/pseuds/plotholes_ahead
Summary: A relationship discovery fic in which Thrawn and Eli are sent to a tropical island to uncover more than just a local conspiracy.
Relationships: Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo/Eli Vanto
Comments: 55
Kudos: 115





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is written and I hope to get it all posted before Tuesday (because, like many of you, I will be busy after that!) It might take a little longer to completely post, though. I will try! Also, I'm sure there will be some plot holes (who's surprised?) so kindly ignore them. <3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Imperial equipment is useless on blazing hot tropical islands.

  
The Lambda’s thrusters shuddered under his feet when they touched down, the dull rumble fading out as the engines powered down. Eli Vanto stood from his seat behind the pilot, squinting from the brightness as he gazed out the viewport at the landscape. He’d only been able to glimpse it on their approach to the surface and now he couldn’t tear his eyes away. It was the most beautiful view he’d ever seen. Vivid aqua blue waves lapped lazily at the white sandy beach and tall, large-leafed trees rose from the ground. The sight left him speechless, and also sincerely hoping he’d get a chance to dive in before they departed. 

The Lysatran lakes he’d visited as a teen were nothing like this. Ma had told him they’d taken him to the ocean when he was young, but he didn’t remember such a trip so in his mind he’d never been. Instead, he’d spend day after day of his summer holiday at friends cabins or camping with his family, and the one thing he’d never grown tired of was jumping into the cool water to find relief from the blazing sun. His mind wandered to the last trip he’d taken to Lake Lyrian, right before he’d left for Myomar. That was also the last time he’d seen his first boyfriend. _That_ had been a night he’d never forget.

“Ensign.” 

It had also been another life entirely. Now, his commanding officer was beckoning him, and the expectation that he’d be able to swim again rapidly diminished. 

Eli snapped out of his reverie and tore his eyes from the view to face the tall, blue-skinned man with glowing red eyes whose outstretched hand was holding… a datapad.

Of course it was.

“Where to first, Commander?” Eli asked as he accepted the pad from Thrawn’s hand, trying in vain to ignore how their fingertips grazed one another’s. 

“Our contact is on the south side of the island,” Thrawn told him as he strapped a pack to his back and handed one to Eli. “In the Noapo village.”

Eli took the pack and slung it over his shoulder. The idea of living among villagers for the duration of their time on Sauria did not completely repulse him, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t concerned about the whole hygiene issue. 

“I suppose dropping us off on the south side would’ve been too easy?” Eli asked dryly.

Thrawn looked on him with a small smile, silently expressing his understanding of the snide remark but choosing not to comment. He reached out with both hands and Eli instinctively backed away, wary and unsure at first, eyeing him strangely until Thrawn neatly took hold of his pack’s shoulder strap, that he’d forgotten to secure, and buckled it.

“The south side is prone to sudden gusts of strong winds,” Thrawn explained, ignoring Eli’s withdrawal and turning to leave the shuttle. “We would not want to risk damaging our ship. Our pilot must return to the mainland and we want him available when we call.”

“Right,” Eli said with a short nod, thankful that Thrawn had ignored his apparent fear of clipped buckles. He buried his face behind his datapad to hide the heat blossoming in his cheeks, and pretended to delve into the map that would lead them to the village. For a moment he was lost in the topographical depiction of the island, noting generally where the factory compound was located in relation to the locals' smaller villages. 

“Sir, do you know when-” his breath caught when the landing ramp descended. He was hit with a wall of moist, hot air that was so thick he swore he felt a line of sweat already trickling down his spine.

Summers on Lysatra were known to reach scorching temperatures, but Eli imagined this sweltering heat was as close to Hell as you could get without actually visiting.

He considered removing a layer, but then he’d risk Thrawn wanting to help buckle his pack again and he wasn’t sure he could handle that so soon. 

“You had a question, Ensign?” Thrawn asked when his boot sank into the sandy beach.

“Uh - yeah,” he said as they started forward. He was vaguely aware of their shuttle taking off behind him. “When are we scoping out the factory?” 

Thrawn came to a stop at the edge of what Eli would most certainly call a jungle. Again, not too worried about traversing an unknown, dense labyrinth of wild flora, especially with their packs stocked with all the best survival equipment the Empire had to offer, but still… the sun was getting lower and it would be dark in a matter of hours.

“Tomorrow, I presume,” Thrawn answered. “Once we make initial contact with our host.”

He started forward into the thick brush and Eli followed, map in hand.

  


Two hours later, they were both soaked to the bone with sweat, their clothing sticking to their damp skin, hair all but matted to their scalps. Eli was also covered in specs of dirt and pieces of broken leaves as he’d tripped over a large tree trunk and fallen flat on his face. Thrawn had looked back and tilted his head in concern but Eli had scrambled to his feet, claiming he was unharmed. Truthfully, his knee was scraped up and his ankle was throbbing, but Thrawn might call back the shuttle if he knew he was injured. And doubling back to drop him off would take time away from the mission so he’d tough it out. He’d get some sleep soon and wake up feeling brand new, he was sure of it. 

Eli hastily swiped at yet another bead of sweat trying to make it’s way unwelcomed into his eye, followed by another swat at a large beetle flying past his ear and then dodged another as it came hurtling toward his face. He huffed and hoped they’d be arriving soon. 

Coming to a fork in the path, they paused. 

“Which direction, Ensign?” 

“Um…” he squinted at the device in his hand and pointed. “This way.”

They passed a large, translucent shape, a sloughing of the creatures who inhabited the island. Eli knew the locals were reptilian and spoke a language that sounded much like the hiss of a snake, but other than holoimages he’d never seen the Saurian people, leaving him a tad wary of them and their culture. 

He glanced down at the map to make sure they were still headed in the right direction and froze, sudden panic coursing through him. “Uh… Commander?” 

Thrawn, who was hacking his way through the brush with a stick in wide arcs, halted and turned. 

Eli shook the datapad, hoping the screen would reappear. It came back on, but the image was fuzzy and missing segments. 

“What is it, Ensign?” 

Eli swallowed, fidgeting with the controls and power button. He couldn’t keep his voice from falling. “I don’t know what happened. One minute it was there and now-”

His flat palm made sharp contact with the back of the device, eliciting a loud slap in the quiet space. “-it’s all scrambled.”

He crouched down and sifted through his pack to retrieve his own datapad, attempting to power it up to no avail. 

“I think they overheated,” he murmured, looking hopelessly between the two datapads. 

Flustered, he ran a hand through his damp hair and refused to look Thrawn in the eye for fear of seeing his disappointment. No matter how many times he told himself not to, he couldn’t help but care what Thrawn thought of him. 

“I apologize, sir. I should’ve thought of something else.”

“It is alright, E-Ensign,” Thrawn said kindly, taking a step toward him and gently laying a hand on his shoulder as he took the datapad from him. “You are not to be blamed for tech failure.”

Eli found himself leaning into his touch before he pulled his hand away. As the Chiss inspected the device, turning it over and popping out the battery pack and putting it back in, Eli noticed that his eyes seemed to droop just a little lower than usual, his movements a tad slower than was typical. 

Then it dawned on him. Weren’t Chiss from an ice planet? Had Thrawn even been anywhere this hot and humid before?

Eli looked out at the setting sun. It would be night soon and traveling in the dark on an unknown island was… unwise. And personally he hoped to get off his twisted ankle so he could stop trying to hide his hobbling from Thrawn. 

“Perhaps we should stop here for the night, sir,” Eli suggested. “It wouldn’t be smart to continue in our current state.”

Thrawn blinked at him and then peered out at what could be seen of the sunset through the trees. “No, I suppose not.”

Eli unbuckled his pack and tossed it to the ground, rummaging through the contents to see what they had available to them. He pulled out a tent, dehydrated rations, a glow rod and a few other objects he deemed necessary for the evening they were about to spend on the jungle floor. 

“Sir,” Eli called to him. “I-”

Thrawn turned, silhouetted by the colors of the setting sun and looked at Eli with that kind, curious expression. The sight took Eli’s breath away and the intended statement he’d had cued up left his brain altogether.

Snapping his mouth shut, he quickly ducked his head into his sack as Thrawn walked over. “Are we missing something?”

_Composure?_

Eli gulped. “No, sir.”

He stood and began laying out their tent. 

“I will scout the area while you set up camp,” Thrawn told him. “Perhaps I can uncover something.”

“Here, take this,” Eli said, tossing him a bottle of water. With another quick glance at the fading light he warned. “It’ll be dark soon.”

Thrawn glanced over his shoulder with something close to a smirk spread across his lips. “I am aware. Best get that tent up.”

Eli scowled after him, noticing that his command had had an oddly playful lilt to it.

_Curious._

  


Eli was lounging in their perfectly constructed shelter, fiddling with the datapads and chewing on bites of purple fruit when Thrawn returned. 

“Did you find anything?” Eli asked, looking up at him from inside the tent.

“I did,” Thrawn replied as he took hold of the tent’s flimsy overhang and shook it a bit, clearly unimpressed and unconvinced that it would protect them from much of anything. “Footprints that I intend to pursue in the morning.” 

“Excellent,” Eli murmured, trying not to take offense at Thrawn’s blasé response to his shelter making skills. It wasn’t _his_ tent after all. “Are you hungry?”

He held out a half eaten bag of dehydrated Jogan fruit and another bottle of water. Thrawn eyed the bag thoughtfully before taking it from him and sitting on his own sleeping mat. There was but one thermal blanket they’d have to share, but considering the sweat on Eli’s forehead was just now drying, he doubted they’d need it.

  


Night fell quickly and soon the two of them were laying quietly in the dark, a foot apart in the cramped two-person tent. Eli had inconspicuously placed his rolled up bag under his ankle to elevate it and hopefully decrease the inevitable swelling, but it had yet to stop throbbing. Their packs contained infection inhibitors but no actual pain relievers, so there was no way to numb the area and it was near impossible to suppress his uncomfortable squirming. 

He knew Thrawn wasn’t sleeping. The Chiss was laying on his back with his eyes closed, but he wasn’t asleep. In typical Thrawn fashion, he was waiting until Eli drifted off before either leaving the room entirely or switching on a small light to continue his work. He’d done this since their Academy days, but as there was limited lighting currently available Eli assumed he’d leave the tent at some point, maybe sit outside and stargaze.

He turned his head toward the other man, slowly in hopes of making as little noise as possible.

“Yes, Ensign?”

Eli winced. A faint red glow appeared, partially illuminating Thrawn’s features. The Chiss turned his head and Eli forced a nervous grin. 

“Nothing, sir.”

He tried rolling on his side and grimaced as the movement caused his ankle to torque painfully. Thrawn propped himself up on his elbow, shining a nearby glow rod in Eli’s direction. He looked him over, concern and urgency evident. “What is it?”

Eli buried his face in his makeshift pillow, hiding his eyes from the intrusive bright light. “It’s nothing.”

Sitting up, the Chiss lowered the glow rod and scooted closer to him saying softly, “Look at me.” 

His voice was not harsh, but it was no less of a command. Eli sighed and lifted his eyes to Thrawn’s, silently cursing the Chiss for knowing he couldn’t lie to his face.

“Are you hurt?”

With a languid wave toward his foot he muttered, “It’s just my ankle. It’ll be fine by morning.”

The small crease between Thrawn's brow deepened with concern and he moved to examine Eli’s injury, pressing gently with two fingers into the swollen flesh. 

“Why did you not tell me?” he whispered. Eli, who had been staring in annoyance at the canvas wall of the tent, started at the hurt in Thrawn’s voice. He bent his head to catch him searching through his bag, bringing out a wrap of some kind and expertly beginning to wrap up his ankle.

“I didn’t want to worry you,” Eli answered. 

Thrawn’s movements faltered. He glanced in Eli’s direction but continued with the treatment. Eli’s explanation was only half true. Mostly he just didn’t want to be a hindrance to Thrawn or their mission. It wasn’t often that they were given ground assignments and as much as Eli enjoyed being among the stars, it was nice to inhale something other than recycled air every now and then. 

“Regardless,” Thrawn told him with a slightly sterner tone. “As your commanding officer you are expected to inform me of such things. I cannot allow you to be injured and go untreated.” 

Eli waited for him to say he had no choice but to send him back to the mainland, or the _Thunder Wasp._ He watched as he finished weaving the wrap around his foot and up his ankle to firmly secure the fabric. 

“We will reassess the situation in the morning,” Thrawn said, stuffing the contents of his bag back in. 

Watching him put his stuff away and climb back onto his mat, Eli couldn’t help but notice how Thrawn didn’t meet his gaze again. That little nuance did not sit well with him. Eli had spent enough time with the other man over the years to know that the Chiss possessed enough confidence to look anyone in the eye, even when faced with the barrel of a blaster. The only time he lacked that maddening confidence was if he was unsure of his next move, an event that was few and far between, but still… 

Thrawn should send him back, but would he? 

Eli just hoped his ankle would be alright by morning. Then they could put this whole ordeal behind them.

  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes the ocean must double as a washroom.

  


Unfortunately, it was not alright. In fact, it was worse. 

Before he had even rolled over on his sleep mat, he felt his heart pounding, strong and steady, in his ankle. If it wasn’t the throbbing pain that had woken him, it was definitely the scorching heat already blazing in through their tent. 

He turned his head to find Thrawn snuggled up right behind him. An involuntary smile spread across his lips and he took the opportunity, what with being in such close proximity to the unconscious man, to look at him more closely. His skin was so smooth Eli wasn’t sure he even had hair. His brows, which were usually knit in unwavering focus appeared relaxed in his peaceful slumber. Tiny drops of moisture were already forming on his forehead from the escalating heat. Eli wiped his own brow with the back of his hand and found that he, too, was already sweating.

His arm unintentionally grazed the Chiss on its way back down and Thrawn stirred, a low grumble escaping between parted lips. Eli froze, not wanting to wake him but also hoping he’d make that sultry sound again so close to his ear. 

Red eyes blinked to life. 

“Good morning, Ensign,” Thrawn murmured.

Eli cleared his throat. “Mornin’ Commander.” 

Thrawn didn’t even bother moving away. “How is your ankle?” 

It would be futile to lie. 

“Not great,” Eli admitted, gingerly getting to his feet. 

Once Thrawn realized what he was attempting to do, he hurriedly rose to his feet as well. Which was all well and good because when Eli tried to take a step out of the tent he nearly toppled over, saved by Thrawn, who deftly reached for his elbow to keep him from collapsing. 

Eli chanced a timid glance up at him. “Ok, it’s bad.”

Thrawn huffed and hooked his arm around his waist. The gesture startled Eli, but he didn’t fight it as Thrawn led him to a nearby stump, protesting and insisting all the while that this was unnecessary. 

“Sit, Ensign,” was Thrawn's only response. 

Eli did, although unhappily.

Thrawn bustled around, packing up their camp as Eli watched. When the Chiss was finished he slung both their packs over his shoulder and strode over to Eli, holding out a hand to help him stand. 

“Sir, I can walk,” Eli insisted, but he took his hand anyway, fighting the blush that crept into his cheeks.

“Nonsense,” Thrawn argued, swiping the human off the ground in one swift motion, to a short yelp from Eli. “I will not risk you becoming more injured. This terrain is not suited for weak ankles.”

Pouting, Eli crossed his arms over his chest and tucked his head, wishing to avoid touching the Chiss anymore than was necessary. As much as Eli disliked being carried like a child, he was immensely grateful that, apparently, Thrawn had decided not to ship him out. 

They continued on like this for a half hour, journeying through patches of dense brush and through puddles of mud and murky standing water. Since Thrawn could hardly see over Eli’s body, it was his job to keep an eye on the indistinctive footprints in the muck, which would hopefully lead them to the village. It was guesswork, at best, as he’d lose sight of them every now and then.

The sun rose higher in the sky, already slicking their skin and dampening their clothes. Thrawn rearranged Eli multiple times with a short toss into the air whenever he started to slowly slip through his arms. 

“I believe it would be beneficial if you put your arm around my neck, Ensign,” Thrawn quietly suggested.

Eli suppressed his sigh and without making eye contact, wrapped his arm delicately around his commanding officers’s neck. Thrawn shifted again to bring him closer into his body, if that was possible, and Eli had to admit he felt much more secure like this. He kept his eyes angled downward, though, fighting the temptation to glance up at Thrawn’s face, which was much too close to his. 

“Ah,” Thrawn suddenly spoke. “There is it.”

Eli lifted his gaze to catch a glimpse of a tiny flicker of light in the distance. But of course it would probably look like a roaring fire in Thrawn’s eyes. Eli accidentally glanced up at him, into those red eyes and the corner of his blue lips quirked up in a half smile. “How is your leg?”

Eli looked away and grumbled, “It’s just my ankle, and it’s fine.”

Nevertheless, he knew it would be wise for him to stay off of it for a while. Which, apparently, was exactly what Thrawn had in mind as well.

They were spotted by two perimeter guards, bipedal creatures with scaly skin and globular yellow eyes with black slits for pupils. Thrawn greeted them in Basic and they replied with the same, albeit broken and odd sounding in their accents. Their long, thin tongues slithered between their lips, the tips flicking sharply when they spoke. Eli found it hard not to stare at how their tongues moved, especially when it was difficult to look them in the eye due to their angle and position. 

After some careful negotiation, which mostly involved pointing to Eli’s foot and him making a pained expression, they were led to what Eli assumed was the medic’s hut, passing villagers along the way and earning themselves suspicious glances. 

He looked around the small hut while they waited for the village Healer and the Chief to arrive, doubting that anything in this paltry space could heal him in time to be useful on this mission, but he refrained from voicing the thought. 

The Healer entered first with a request from the Chief that the uninjured Imperial meet him in the Counselor’s Hut. Thrawn denied this request, claiming that it was required for him to oversee all unknown medical treatment to those under his responsibility. This was, of course, a load of bantha fodder. 

The fib had proven useful, however, when the healer attempted to apply an oily, grey salve to Eli’s skin. Thrawn stopped him with a hand covering Eli’s ankle, frowning and shaking his head. “No T’pala Paste.”

Eli’s eyes widened and he repeated its name in a question. “I’m allergic to that.” 

Without looking at him, Thrawn replied quietly, “I know you are.” 

Eli stared at him for a moment as the Healer settled for another type of medicine and propped his leg up on a woven basket. He laid back on the table and thread his fingers together over his stomach, grinning stupidly at the ceiling. 

What other random facts did Thrawn know about Eli? 

  
  
  


Thrawn left with the Healer a while later, leaving Eli alone in the hut to thoroughly enjoy not having to sit in a day long meeting. Instead his orders were to chill out in a bungalow, lay back and relax with the distant view of the water through the square cutout to his right. He tucked his hands behind his head, thinking to himself that this moment could only be made better if Thrawn were here. And maybe a drink.

The worn cloth covering that served as the hut’s door peeled back to reveal a very out of place blue-skinned Imperial. 

Well, he’d at least get one of his desires.

“Ensign,” Thrawn greeted him with a short nod. “How are you feeling?”

He sat up quickly and swung his feet off the side of the wooden plank covered in straw that served as a plinthe. Whatever the Healer applied had decreased his swelling and pain and although he’d have to apply more later, he felt great now. 

“Just fine, sir.” 

A small smile touched the corner of Thrawn’s mouth. “Very well. Follow me.”

Eli tried hard not to limp, finding that movement was far more difficult than laying about, as he followed behind Thrawn on their way to the Counselor’s Hut. Which was no hut at all. It was a palace, by anyone's standards, but kept with the same island oasis theme. Meaning: no showers. Toilets, yes, but no showers. Not exactly conducive for human visitors. 

When they approached, Eli was introduced to the Chief, who graciously led them to their separate quarters. 

“The mainlanders have supplied us with this magnificent structure to call home,” the older creature explained as they walked. “It is meant to be a token of their gratitude for our assistance and a mark of friendship and unity.”

Eli made a mental note to befriend these mainlanders. He couldn’t help but notice, however, how the Chief’s tone did not hold any return thanks to their friends on the mainland.

  
  
  


The next few days passed as unexciting and mundane as ever. They met with the local villagers the following day and the mainlanders the day after that, to hear each of their conditions and requirements to renew their standing arrangement. Which was, as far as Eli could tell, the completion of the new and improved factory currently being built. It’s purpose was to harvest fish and other sea life from around the island, to which the islanders would prepare and store until retrieved and brought to the mainland. 

On their fourth day, they all gathered together in the hut palace and came to an agreement that yes, the factory would continue on schedule but the islander’s one amendment was for the mainlanders to now supply their own workers, claiming that theirs were being overworked. The request was first met with reluctance but after Thrawn pointed out that supplying their own employees would inevitably create more jobs for their people it was, in the end, approved. 

Eli noticed how, just like the Chief’s tone, the human ambassador’s smile didn’t quite reach both his ears when they parted.

  
  
  


Thrawn and Eli were asked to remain on the island until the opening of the factory, in three days time. After a quick check in with Senior Lieutenant Hammerly on the _Thunder Wasp_ , the extended time was logged and they settled in for a few days longer stay.

It was at this point that the whole hygiene issue became a sincere problem. 

So that night Eli grabbed a towel and some soap from his room in the hut palace and excitedly made his way across the sandy grounds in the heat of the night to the distant ocean front. 

He’d been looking forward to this since they’d landed as he’d been unable to enjoy anything remotely close to a tropical vacation over the course of his time in the service. He intended to take full advantage of the opportunity now. He needed this; needed to cool off from the days scorching heat and the little looks Thrawn kept tossing his way. He was either still greatly concerned for his health, or all of a sudden fascinated with every little thing he did; he just kept _watching_ him.

It wouldn’t be so bad if he didn’t also insist on touching him. Eli couldn’t recall how many times Thrawn's fingertips had grazed his shoulder or the small of his back over the duration of their time here, for no apparent reason. He wasn’t sure what to make of it. Not that he really minded, but at some point, something had to give. 

The sound of the waves grew louder as he strode closer to the ocean, his bare feet now sinking into the cooler sand. Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the lone figure in the water until it was almost too late. He stopped, not wanting to disturb the fellow night swimmer. Looking up and down the shoreline, he searched for an unoccupied section of water where he could bathe in peace, but movement ahead drew his attention as the figure stood, half of their body still submerged beneath the water. 

Eli’s eyes widened. It was Thrawn, naked to the waist, running a hand through his wet hair as water droplets glistening off his blue skin in the moonlight. Eli swallowed hard and spun to leave, ignoring the churning in the pit of his stomach at the sight.

Great. As if he needed another unattainable man to fall for. Truth was, he had been fighting this attraction for over a year now and even after sleeping with a variety of humans, and even some aliens, he couldn’t shake the growing revelation that yes, he had a childish crush on his CO. 

“Ensign.”

He froze. _Damn._

Eli slowly turned around. Thrawn lowered himself back into the water, a look of pleasant expectation on his face.

“Oh um… hi.” Eli started. “I didn’t see you there.”

Thrawn raised a skeptical eyebrow, gliding his arms gracefully across the surface of the water as he treaded effortlessly to keep himself afloat. Was it Eli’s imagination, or did Thrawn’s eyes flick just once over his body. The look made him shift uncomfortably, wishing a tsunami would come sweep him up and carry him out to sea. 

“Did you need me for something?” 

_Many things._

“No,” Eli replied quickly. He held up the small sack which housed his soap, a towel, and a change of clothes. “I just came for a swim, and to wash up. There’s not exactly a viable washroom for a human.” 

“Nor a Chiss,” Thrawn said.

Eli stared at him for a moment, debating whether or not he should find somewhere else to bathe. Would that seem rude if he left to wash someplace else? And where else could he really go? He watched Thrawn, who was watching him, waiting patiently until he overcame this internal conundrum. Was he otherthinking this? 

“Are you coming in?” Thrawn finally asked. 

Eli snorted. The Commander’s tone was almost demanding, or perhaps Eli only heard it that way. Giving up, he tossed his bag to the side and pulled his shirt hastily over his head. Thrawn watched him for a moment before looking away with a small smile as he undid his trousers and tossed those to the side as well. 

Clad in only his briefs, he waded in. His sharp inhale drew Thrawn’s attention. 

“Ouch, ouch, ouch,” he exclaimed, lifting one foot from the shallow water and attempting to balance on his injured ankle. 

It didn’t go so well. He toppled over, arms flailing as he splashed into the water, fully dunking himself. He resurfaced, coughing and pushing his matted hair out of his face. Hoisted onto his feet, Thrawn helped him stand steady on one leg as the Chiss took hold of the crab-like creature attached to his foot, forcing it to unclamp it’s hold on Eli. Thrawn tossed the crustacean to the side and released him, gazing down at him with a gentle smile and growing amusement.

Eli grinned sheepishly up at him and muttered. “Thank you.” 

“You are welcome,” Thrawn said. “Perhaps allowing you to walk is more detrimental to your health than me carrying you.” 

Eli’s eyes narrowed comically into slits. The corner of Thrawn’s mouth curved upwards ever so slightly. 

“You’re teasing me,” Eli said, mildly impressed at Thrawn’s growing aptitude for human emotion. 

“I am,” Thrawn said in his smooth voice as he stepped away from him and towards his bag. It was at that moment that Eli realized Thrawn was not naked from the waist up; he was simply naked. 

The human’s eyes shot wide open and he averted his gaze, spinning completely around so his back was toward Thrawn. He let out a long, calming breath as he stared at the darkened horizon. Of course it shouldn’t bother him to see Thrawn's ass; it wasn’t the first time. But Thrawn had just been standing right beside him, touching him, completely nude. 

He appeared at his side, holding out Eli’s bar of soap. Eli took it without glancing at him but couldn’t help sneaking a peek as Thrawn waded back into the water. He followed him in, knowing that to leave now would be cowardly. He scrubbed his body, still actively avoiding Thrawn’s gaze and then tossed the soap to the other man. To keep himself from gawking at the chiseled body dripping in suds, he turned his gaze to the stars, jaw dropping open at the spectacle of unknown constellations that littered the sky above. 

They didn’t speak for a long while. The only sounds being those of the water gently lapping at the shore and the night bugs singing in the distance. Eli turned his head, seeking the direction it was coming from, but it seemed to be all around them. It reminded him of the sounds the firecrickets would make back home in the summertime when he’d sit with Ma on the porch and watch the long grass sway back and forth. 

He turned his attention back to Thrawn and sucked in a startled breath. 

“My apologies,” Thrawn said when he realized his proximity had startled the younger man. He handed over the soap and Eli tossed it near his things on the shore.

“What is your analysis so far, Ensign,” Thrawn asked.

Eli’s eyes whirled toward him. “Huh? Oh! The mission… well, it seems the government officials get along for the sake of appearances, but I reckon they don’t really like each other. There doesn’t seem to be much trust between them.”

Thrawn raised a sarcastic eyebrow. “You reckon?”

Eli laughed, finding that the casual expression sounded odd coming from the Chiss’s mouth. 

Before he could respond, Thrawn spoke again. This time with yet another gentle smile, one that Eli was seeing more and more often on this mission. “I am glad you are here, Ensign.”

For a moment Eli’s chuckle faded, taken aback by the honest admission, but he played it off. “For my groundbreaking analysis?” he asked, smiling once more. He was joking, of course. 

“I could ask for no one better,” Thrawn said, grinning at him. “But in this instance I was referring more to your company.”

Heat blossomed in Eli’s cheeks at the praise. “I’m glad I’m here, too, Commander.”

The trees swayed gently in the breeze, rustling in the distance and traveling soothingly to his ears. A strong wind picked up, making him shiver and he dunked further into the water to avoid its crisp gusts. All the while, he tried coming up with something actually noteworthy about their mission so far, in the small hope that he might impress Thrawn. 

One of the counselor’s had seemed pretty irritated at the combined meeting, but it was difficult to decipher if that had been due to having to attend the meeting, or the actual cause for it. Either way, Eli thought he was worth keeping an eye on. 

He turned to Thrawn to say so and found the Chiss watching him with an almost curious expression. Eli wanted to back away from that stare, but he didn’t. He just grinned kindly before noticing a thin, blue line drawn across the left side of Thrawn’s neck.

He leaned forward. “Commander, what is-“

Thrawn took a step away from him, dropping his chin to hide the bright line. “It is nothing.”

Eli’s eyes flashed to his. “Are you sure? It looks like it’s spreading.”

“It is not,” Thrawn argued as he moved to exit the water. 

“Wha-“ Eli followed him, frowning in confusion. “Well, are you ok?”

“I am fine,” Thrawn reassured him as he reached the shore and grabbed for his towel, draping it about his neck before shimmying a pair of trousers onto his wet body. “I must be going. Have a good evening, Ensign.”

Eli stood at the shoreline in utter perplexity as he watched him go. 

  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The local fruit is not as unassuming as one might think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW material ahead ; )

  
Someone was rapping on his door. Eli, who had been dead asleep, reluctantly roused himself and strode sleepily to his door. The moment he unlatched the lock, it swung open and a tall, built figure snuck inside, closing the door behind him. 

“Hey!” Eli exclaimed, flipping the light on and squinting from its brightness. 

Thrawn turned to face him. “Ensign.”

“Oh, hi,” Eli said, running a hand through his hair and tucking some unruly strands behind his ears. He crossed his arms over his body to hide his sleep clothes as Thrawn was fully dressed and appeared ready for action. 

“I apologize for the early hour,” Thrawn told him, placing his hand back on the door handle as if to leave again. “I need your assistance.”

Eli blinked, realizing Thrawn meant _now._

“Uh, yeah… sure,” Eli said as Thrawn opened the door and stepped out. “Where are we going?”

“I have a-” the Chiss paused in the doorway, looking Eli up and down. “Perhaps you should change.”

He waited in the hall for Eli to swap his pjs for something more official, a gesture Eli found somewhat odd as Thrawn had never bothered to give him such privacy before. When Eli opened his door, Thrawn was waiting patiently with his hands clasped behind his back. 

“Are you ready?”

With a determined nod from Eli, Thrawn resumed the mission. “I have a nagging suspicion that the government official’s cordiality is very much false.”

Eli had to practically jog to keep up with him. When Thrawn was on to something, he always found himself two steps behind. Literally. 

“Why do you think that?”

“You said so last night.”

Eli waited for him to explain, knowing there was always more. Sometimes he was lucky enough that Thrawn would share with him his train of thought. 

“You said there seemed to be very little trust between them,” Thrawn continued. “Which led me to download some of the region's artwork.”

Eli smirked. He should’ve known. “Did you find a history of bloody battles and political unrest?” 

Thrawn eyed him strangely. “Not at all.”

Eli ducked his head. “Oh.”

“In fact I discovered something the two peoples revere,” Thrawn explained. “A stone of some kind, I believe, that they deem sacred.” 

By now they had made their way outside, striding across the sandy grounds of the hut palace. 

“A stone?” Eli asked. He wondered how valuable this stone was that it would bring two peoples together despite their dislike for each other. “So what… we’re going to look for it?” 

Thrawn nodded. “I scanned the original proposal for the factory and found that it was meant to be developed on the north side of the island.”

“It’s being built on the east side.”

“Exactly,” Thrawn said with a swift look in his direction. “I would like to uncover why they deviated from the original plan.”

“You think the stone is there?”

A small smile graced Thrawn’s thin lips. “We shall see.”

The rising sun lit up the space between the village huts, casting an orange glow across the sand between the structures as they made their way over to the partially covered path that would lead them east. 

“I hope you have something more reliable than an Imperial mapping system this time.” 

“Of course I do,” Thrawn said, looking at him with a sparkle in his eye. ”I have you.”

Eli huffed. 

_Fair enough._

Since they’d been here with not much to do, he’d taken time to study the local maps, not desiring to lose his way again. He wouldn’t call himself an expert, by any means, but he could get them there and back again.

  
  
  


It had all been for naught. They hadn’t found Thrawn’s rumored stone or any clue to further their investigation. And at this point they’d been hiking most of the day along difficult to navigate, overgrown trails. Thick vines and dense shrubs obstructed their path, to which Thrawn would crunch down by trodding on them in a circle until they were flattened enough that Eli could cross without difficulty.

He followed Thrawn over one of the large, translucent sheddings of a Saurian. He cringed, not sure he’d ever get used to the sight of the shell of a body his same size. He glanced up at the sun, noting that it had to be well past lunch time.

And now he was hungry. His stomach rumbled and Thrawn froze, Eli almost running headlong into him. He hadn’t realized he’d been following so close to Thrawn that the Chiss could hear his body’s response to not eating since the night before. 

“Ensign, are you hungry?” 

It was pointless to deny it. “A little. It can wait, though.”

Thrawn was looking up into the trees with his hands on his hips. “I apologize for neglecting your basic needs.”

Eli started. “It’s um… it’s ok, sir.”

After a moment of watching the other man squint at the treetops, Eli peered up as well, frowning.

“I saw what I assume was edible fruit earlier,” Thrawn muttered. “Please remain here. I will go fetch some.”

He’d taken two steps back the way they came before turning around. “Actually, I might require your assistance, Ensign.”

“Of course,” Eli said before Thrawn had even finished his sentence.

They trudged off in the direction of where Thrawn had last seen the fruit. It wasn’t long until they stopped on the trail and Thrawn pointed to a group of four or five palm sized melons. Eli’s mouth watered just looking at them. Unfortunately, they were fifteen feet in the air. Eli eyed Thrawn. He was tall, but he wasn’t _that_ tall. Could Chiss climb trees? 

Thrawn glanced at him and with a flick of his head directed Eli to follow him into the brush at the base of the tree.

“Alright, Ensign,” Thrawn began. “I will lift you so you can grab them.” 

Brown eyes flashed to the high hanging fruit. “What?”

Thrawn bent his knees and knit his fingers together to form a makeshift step. “Put your hands on my shoulders-”

_No._

“Commander, I-”

“And your foot in my hands-”

_I don’t think so._

“And I will lift you up.” 

_Absolutely not._

Eli just stared at him until the smallest of smiles appeared at the corner of Thrawn’s mouth. “Do you not trust me?”

The human’s heart leapt into his throat and he swallowed it back down, muttering softly and avoiding the other’s gaze. “Of course I do.”

Thrawn indicated his clasped hands once more with a raise of his brows and Eli caved, breathing out a heavy sigh as he placed his hands timidly on Thrawn’s shoulders. Refusing to look him in the eye, he placed his good foot in his hands and nodded once that he was ready. 

His other foot left the ground and he reached up, grabbing two of the bright yellow melons before losing his balance. He overcompensated for the sway and with a wave of terror thought he might fall, but strong hands caught his hips and guided him safely to the ground. He glanced up into Thrawn’s eyes and flushed bright ruby; they were standing chest to chest. Eli immediately took a large step back and averted his gaze as Thrawn’s hands fell away. 

“Are you going to try them?” Thrawn asked him expectantly. 

Eli realized he’d stood too long holding the fruit and threw one on the ground, splitting it into three pieces. He took a bite of its center, savoring the sweet juice as it trickled down his throat and nodded in answer to Thrawn’s questioning expression, a small grin playing on his lips. It was delicious and so refreshing after their long trek. 

He waited until he was done chewing before he spoke. “It’s really good! Here, try it.”

He held out the uneaten piece of fruit. Thrawn shook his head. “You eat it.”

Eli made a face, extending his arm out even further. “Just a bite and if you don’t like it then I’ll finish it.”

Thrawn took it from him and turned it over curiously before taking a bite, juice leaking from the corner of his mouth and onto his shirt.

“Good, huh?” Eli asked, smiling.

“Yes,” Thrawn replied softly. “However I am more worried about you and would prefer for you to eat them.”

Eli cocked his head to the side. Thrawn seemed to be worried about him quite a bit lately. 

“I’ll be fine,” Eli reassured him. “Actually,” he glanced back up at the tree. “Do you think you could lift me up again? I can grab us a couple more so we have them for the hike back.”

Thrawn motioned him over and they performed the same stunt, although Eli’s balance was significantly better this round. Thrawn lowered him to the jungle floor once more, but this time Eli did not jump back. In fact, he rather liked where he was. He looked Thrawn in the eye, smiled and stepped away at a pace that might be considered normal for a human, maybe even a tad slow. 

“Thank you,” he said softly, handing a melon to Thrawn.

“Thank _you_ ,” Thrawn replied, indicating the fruit in his hand. “Shall we head back?”

The return trek seemed to go quickly as they marched back to camp, munching on the yellow melons. Eli figured he’d gotten too much sun from being outside all day because his fingers began to tingle and his eyesight began to blur. He shook his arms out, blinking rapidly as he tried focusing on the trail ahead, stumbling slightly over a large rock. Gazing out at the setting sun, his breath left him in a small gasp at the brilliant colors splayed across the skyline.

It was evening now. He caught a glimpse of the flickering lights from the village torches in the distance. He’d never seen colors look like that before. Perhaps this was how Thrawn always saw light in the infrared. Eli turned his gaze to his partner, slightly in front and to the left of him. His skin appeared bluer than usual, shockingly vivid, and Eli found it hard to tear his eyes away. 

Blood thrummed in his veins as his normally contained curiosity turned to shameless desire. Images floated lazily across his stream of consciousness, not even bothering to chide himself or quell the inappropriate thoughts regarding his commanding officer. In fact, as his eyes scanned longingly over the Chiss’s broad shoulders and the curve of his backside, he allowed his mind to wander. 

Would he pin him up against a wall…

Or maybe pull his hair…

Would he let him lead or tell him what to do...

The Chiss glanced over his shoulder and Eli barely managed a last minute grin before he looked away. A few more steps and Thrawn turned completely around, seeming to struggle with some internal battle and then continued on without saying a word. Eli frowned in confusion, but they were at the hut palace now and he thought it best not to mention it in case it was something vital to the mission. 

Speaking of something vital to the mission…

“Whoa, check this out,” Eli said, stopping at a glass box in one of the palace hallways. 

Inside was a sparkling black and silver sheet of mineral. It looked like…

“The stone,” Eli said, dazed and distorted. 

“That is not a stone,” Thrawn said, coming up behind him. 

Eli looked over his shoulder. Thrawn stood so close he could feel the heat radiating off his chest and hear the air escape his lips. 

“Can you interpret the language?” Thrawn asked quietly. 

“No,” Eli whispered, not bothering to look down at the plaque with Saurian script for fear of tearing his eyes away from Thrawn’s perfect face. 

Crimson eyes, with their pupils blown wide, flicked to his and before he had a moment to second guess what he was doing, he leaned up towards Thrawn, but he turned away and headed toward their rooms. 

“Our datapad’s have software that can decipher it,” Thrawn said as he walked swiftly down the hall. 

Eli hurried after him, trying to catch up. Of course now, when Eli actually felt brave enough to show him how he felt, Thrawn pushed him aside to focus on the mission. That was so like Thrawn, but Eli wasn’t about to just let this feeling go. He followed him to his room, arriving at his side just as Thrawn unlocked his door. 

It had taken years for Eli to feel like he could do this and he wasn’t going to let the moment pass him by. Thrawn faced him, obviously aware he had something to say.

“Yes, En-”

Eli shoved him into the room with enough force that there was no questioning what he wanted. Thrawn did not resist, letting himself be pushed backwards into his room and allowing the smaller human to overtake him. A fresh wave of desire crashed over Eli as his eyes raked over Thrawn’s body. He stood just inside the door. Without taking his eyes off Thrawn, he reached out and slammed it closed behind him. 

Thrawn was now looking at him with the same intensity that Eli was surely giving him. 

Without thinking, without analysing a single thing, Eli took two quick paces and jumped into Thrawn’s waiting arms, wrapping his legs securely around the others waist and pressed their lips together in what felt like the first and last kiss of Eli’s life. 

There was no sense of time, no rational thought; only broken patches of consciousness and a kaleidoscope of crazed emotion that left Eli’s brain fuzzy when they separated to breathe.

 _This_ was what he needed. This was all he’d ever need. 

A small tear, a long rip, and Eli felt the warm night air against his exposed back. Thrawn yanked the torn shreds of his shirt from his body and tossed them aside. His back hit something soft and Thrawn crawled up his body to hover over him, undoing the button of his trousers with one hand while his hot mouth roamed over the hard line of his jaw and down his neck, nibbling at the raised nub on his chest to make him arch up off the mattress. The Chiss chuckled devilishly and Eli’s erection only grew harder at the enticing sound, no longer straining against his pants as Thrawn graciously worked him free. He gasped and curled forward, finding a handful of blue-black hair as Thrawn bottomed out in one swift stroke, swallowing him down his open throat, accepting his full length in one smooth motion and so _so_ good at it. 

He threw his head back against the headboard, expecting the sharp pain to leave a throbbing ache behind, but he barely felt it. Eli didn’t have a particularly high pain tolerance and the only thing he could relate this distorted perception of reality to was a dream. 

Yes, this could be a dream, although he didn’t remember falling asleep. Somehow it didn’t really matter and he had to admit: it wasn’t a bad dream at all. 

But… wasn’t there something they were doing? A mission? Yeah, that’s right. Only… _Thrawn’s mouth._ Eli groaned loudly as Thrawn swirled his tongue around his cockhead. Propping himself up on his elbows, he watched Thrawn drag his tongue along the underside of his cock then close his lips around it. A line of saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth, but he paid it no mind, letting it snake down and over his jaw. Eli had never seen him so sloppy, so careless, so raw. 

He didn’t have much time to admire the view as Thrawn was already retreating, pulling his shirt over his head with one hand and tossing it to the side, sucking provocatively at his own fingers with his crimson, lust filled eyes locked on Eli’s half lidded ones. Guessing his intent and desiring the same thing so badly that his cock twitched off his abdomen, Eli spread his legs further in a lewd, unspoken invitation, accepted by a single finger making its way inside. 

He ground down, releasing a wanton groan and squeezing his eyes shut tight. He didn’t have to wait long before a second finger twisted inside, slick in preparation for what he really wanted.

Not a single word was spoken, not an eager confirmation or a gentle correction, not a check to see if this was ok, or if that wasn't. Somehow it wasn’t necessary. Thrawn knew exactly what Eli wanted and when and where and for how long. He made a mental note to commend him on his intuition and his ability to read humans, or at least Eli, like a damn TIE manual. 

Soon after Thrawn had Eli moaning and desperately rolling his hips to gain more depth and friction, the Chiss carefully removed his fingers. While he shimmied his pants over his hips to kick them off, Eli finally noticed the thin, neon blue design scattered across Thrawn’s neck and chest like jagged lines of lightning. It was beautiful, bright and vivid and visually stunning. For a moment he thought to comment on it, but when Thrawn lined himself up and slowly pressed in, the human’s conscious thought eluded him once again. Thrawn stretched and filled him like nothing he ever remembered, until he'd taken all of him and still wanted more. Surely this, no matter how much Thrawn gave, would ever be enough. Eli pulled him down for a kiss, their teeth scraping and tongues meeting, wrestling in a war they were both sure to win.

The tropical, humid air was already hot and sticky without Thrawn moving above him, dripping sweat onto his chest, his own perspiration gathering behind his knees and trickling down his thighs as Thrawn held him open, driving forward now with short, sharp thrusts as they climbed higher together. Thrawn worked them both over, sweaty and panting and moaning and so _fucking_ good, fully spending himself to satiate them both. 

Eli’s hands clenched into fists, his mouth falling open in a wordless cry. He should have come by now, that bundle of nerves deep inside him lighting up with every relentless drive, his cock yearning for attention. Thrawn’s hand slid up the silky sheets to his, gripping it tightly above his head, fingers intertwining and clutching fiercely until their knuckles turned white. Panting heavily, he pulled Thrawn down for another sloppy, breathy kiss that only urged the Chiss on as he reached between them to take hold of Eli’s pulsating cock, stroking a few long and deliberate passes before pumping hard and fast, demanding Eli’s orgasm with every stroke and thrust.

Eli’s cries filled the room with zero regard and concern for who might hear. This was a dream, after all. He came moments later, shuddering beneath Thrawn as he shot a broken line of cum across his own stomach, sealing the act with Thrawn’s name like a stamp. Thrawn followed, slamming in deep with a low, satisfied growl as he emptied himself into Eli, riding out the blinding sensation of each pleasure pulse, arms quivering in the aftermath of exertion. He collapsed on top of Eli, slick with cum and sweat, his breath hot against his neck. 

It was mere seconds before he raised up just enough to kiss him so passionately that Eli’s whole body trembled, moaning into his mouth and closing his eyes, succumbing to an unusual full body high as he fell into a deep sleep.  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Village myths are both informative and mortifying.

  
Eli woke the following morning feeling like he’d drank an entire bottle of Port in a Storm. Figuring he’d feel better once he ate something, he dressed and cautiously made his way out into the hall, stumbling slightly over the threshold before his legs remembered how to carry him. 

He walked unsteadily to the banquet room, wracking his throbbing brain as he tried recalling the night before, but it was no use. He remembered being on a hike with Thrawn but not arriving back at the palace, like he’d spent his entire evening asleep. But he knew that couldn’t be right because he had been _doing_ something. He was sure of it. He had a feeling it was something important - maybe even essential - to their mission. Perhaps Thrawn would help him remember.

He stopped dead in his tracks at the entrance to the banquet room as the memory hit him like a bolt of blue lightning. The blood drained from his face when he caught sight of Thrawn, sitting cross-legged on one of the plush floor pillows the locals used in place of chairs. 

_Fuuuck._

They had definitely done just that. How it had happened and how he’d later ended up in his own bed, he couldn’t recall. Eli swallowed hard as his feet carried him to where Thrawn sat with the Chief and Counselors, taking a seat beside him. 

Was it odd that they hadn’t woken up next to each other? Maybe that was how Chiss did things. Or maybe it _had_ been a dream. Yes, it must’ve been a dream. 

But when he chanced a look at Thrawn, to see those crimson eyes burning into his own, he knew it hadn’t been.

Blushing scarlet, he stared down at his empty plate and refused to meet Thrawn’s gaze again. Beside him, he felt the other man lean in close. 

“We couldn’t help but notice the two of you disappeared yesterday, Commander.”

Thrawn pulled back and Eli let out the shaky breath he’d been holding, his heart rate slowing just a tad. He reached for a breakfast muffin. If he was chewing he wouldn’t be expected to speak. 

“Correct, Counselor,” Thrawn said, turning to who had spoken to him. “We took the opportunity to explore some of your beautiful home.”

The reptilian creature smirked, his right eye twitched, then swiveled back around to focus on Thrawn. 

“I see,” came the reply in the form of a drawn out hiss. “You must be exhausted, then. How was the exploration? Did you… find anything?”

Eli raised his eyes to see the Counselor's arrogant expression. 

_The stone._ They’d been searching for it. 

“Nothing exceptional,” Thrawn said tightly.

Eli snorted, suddenly remembering their acrobatic stunts, and murmured without thinking, “Except those melons.”

Every single green and yellow Saurian eye turned toward him. One of the advisors hissed, his long tongue fluttering in the air before retreating back into the owner's mouth. 

“Melons? On the north side of the island?”

Thrawn’s eyebrows twitch quizzically. “That is where we were, yes.” 

“You ate them?” a female clarified. 

Eli turned to Thrawn in legitimate concern, forgetting their current dilemma in his mild panic. Had they carelessly eaten some sacred fruit? 

“We did.”

“And did you… experience anything unusual afterwards?” The Counselor’s eyes flicked to Eli and the human prayed to every deity he knew of to keep the blush out of his cheeks. 

Thrawn tilted his head and Eli ducked his, pretending to be immersed in his meal while not at all interested in eating. 

“Nothing out of the ordinary.”

Eli’s head snapped toward him, gaining him a few curious looks. Nothing out of the _ordinary?_ Did Thrawn often feel like ravishing Eli the way he had? 

“Well, that’s a relief,” the Chief said with a gentle chuckle. “Those melons contain the highest known concentration of chemical-H1, binding to and enhancing parts of the brain responsible for pleasure and satiation.” 

Eli spit his drink all over his half-eaten muffin, coughing and gasping for air. Thrawn ignored him. The female across the table caught his eye and winked as he cleaned up his mess and tried to compose himself. 

“Explain,” Thrawn requested evenly.

“It’s used as an aphrodisiac,” the Counselor said matter-of-factly. “The strongest in our galaxy.”

Eli’s palms began to sweat and his heart pounded against his chest. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to look Thrawn in the face after this, but he knew he’d have to eventually and that knowledge sent another wave of dread flooding through him. 

“Interesting.” 

“They’re not called the Fruit of Fulfillment for nothing,” the Chief said, chuckling. “Those who mate with a partner while under its influence often choose them for their life bonding ceremony. Soulmates, we call them.” 

Eli thought he was going to be sick. He swallowed back his muffin. 

The winking female chimed in. “It doesn’t happen for everyone, though. Just the lucky ones.” 

The eldest Counselor was smiling as if recalling a memory. “You can imagine our youth experimenting-”

“I will try not to,” Thrawn said coolly, indicating the conversation was over. 

Eli mentally thanked him for that, already overwhelmed with the hundred concerns that bubbled up. He was finding it difficult to breathe, the air too thick to make it to his lungs and addled brain, information coming in too quickly for his mind to register. He heard his name being said as if from far off, muffled and distant. But he knew who that voice belonged to. He felt his eyes on him, questioning if he was alright. The next time his name was spoken, it was said sharp and clear as if the haze had lifted and Eli just nodded in response, still refusing to look at the voice’s owner. 

Breakfast concluded after a handful of more harrowing minutes and the Counselors and advisors dispersed, some stood to exit and some remained seated to converse in a smaller group. Eli sat unmoving, staring at his plate of barely eaten food. Beside him, Thrawn remained stoic on his cushion. 

He knew it would be better just to get it over with, so Eli worked up the courage to finally face Thrawn. The Chiss had been waiting for him to do so and turned when he looked his way. The room fell away when their eyes met. There was no mission, no prying eyes, no rank or political unrest. Time stretched out as images from the night before filled Eli’s mind. 

The glow of red eyes on his human skin, their sweat running together, heavy breaths and wordless cries, jagged neon blue lines, and… Eli’s heart stopped. 

The images blurred together. He wasn’t sure if half the memories actually occurred, but one thing he remembered vividly: Thrawn’s name erupting from his mouth, as if forcefully pulled by an invisible string tethered to a perverted melon. 

Only that name could hold him captive the way it did. Only that name could alter his life, in the way it always had.

His stomach did a nauseating somersault. Someone, a server, dropped something and it clattered to the floor. Eli took the chance and suddenly stood, rushing from the room and into the hall. He hadn’t realized he’d been followed until he was unceremoniously spun around by a strong grip cuffed around his wrist.

“Eli.” 

He whipped around, peering up to view Thrawn's troubled gaze, a look of honest terror on his own face. 

“I didn’t know, Commander, I swear-“

“Nor did I.”

“Let’s just pretend it never happened.”

“Pretend-”

“I’m sorry, really I-“

“You regret it...” 

A group of young Saurians strode past, talking loudly and the two of them quieted, averting their heated gazes and waiting for the others to pass. Eli took advantage of the few moments to reset, steadying his breathing as his heart rate came down. 

Thrawn waited for the group to be out of ear shot before turning earnest red eyes on him. “Eli - Ensign, last night-”

“Commander-”

One of the Counselor’s was striding over to them with a look that Eli understood as his cue to leave. Taking advantage of the distraction, he spun around and disappeared out of sight before he could get called away with Thrawn. He needed to think, and to do so away from his commanding officer.

He shoved his way into the nearest available room. That just so happened to be the ’fresher, which turned out to be ideal. He fell to his knees before a toilet, positive what little he ate for breakfast would not stay down much longer. A single tear fell from his cheek and splashed into the basin, the water rippling when it landed. 

Eli had given him the fruit. He had handed it to Thrawn and said “Here, try it.” With Thrawn being an alien and new to this galaxy, of course this would be Eli’s fault, his responsibility for not knowing. Would Thrawn think he’d tricked him? It wasn’t exactly a secret how Eli felt about him and Thrawn was the most brilliant man he’d ever known; he had to know how he felt. 

And Thrawn… 

His stomach lurched. Eli could just imagine how guilty Thrawn was going to feel for taking advantage of his naive, helpless aide. Would the rest of their time together be tinged with regret, pity? Would Thrawn even want him around anymore after this? 

He sat back, leaning against the wall of the ’fresher and slammed his head against it. At the same time, the door to the room opened and two pairs of footsteps entered.

“-preoccupied at the moment.”

“What about the boy always following him around?” a worried voice asked.

The thud of a body being knocked into the wall preceded a male Saurian’s persistent tone. “If the blue guy is busy, the other one will be too. Listen, all you have to do is take the shipment to the factory. You know what to do after that.”

“Yeah, yeah ok.”

Eli peaked through the crack of the stall to see two reptilian faces, one from this angle and one’s reflection in the mirror. 

“Can you do that?”

“Yeah, sure,” the other one said unconvincingly. “Shipment, factory. And you’ve got the blue guy.”

“Our beloved Counselor has him. He’ll talk his ear off and we’ll follow his orders. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“One hour.”

One of them hissed. “One hour.”

They exited the room and Eli was left with the sound of his heartbeat thudding rapidly in his ears. Saurian’s bringing shipments to the new factory wasn’t out of place, but the fact that they didn’t want Thrawn to know about it definitely was. Whatever was going on, they had an hour to crack it open. 

Without wasting any more time, Eli took off from the ’fresher. He found Thrawn speaking with the Counselor as the other two had predicted. Bold and fearless, eyes dry with a new sense of purpose that drove away all doubt, Eli strode to their side. But stopped before either one of them saw him. His current confidence would seem out of place and might alert the official. 

So how to warn Thrawn without tipping off the Counselor? 

He searched around, eyes scanning for an opportunity as he spotted a young worker carrying large containers of dishes. They were stacked higher than the youth’s eye level. Eli moved quickly, walking swiftly to intercept…

He and the Saurian collided, sending them both and the many dishes crashing _loudly_ to the floor. Everyone in the hall turned to see what caused the ruckus, including Thrawn and the Counselor, but Eli was grateful; he’d gotten their attention. Rushing over with his typical grace, Thrawn knelt beside him, confusion and concern in his eyes. 

“Ha!” The Counselor boomed. “Youths, feet growing too big-”

Thrawn was watching him with a deep crease between his brows. Eli tried, for the first time in his life, to force a blush. But Thrawn saw right through him. “Counselor, I must take my aide to the Healer to ensure he is not injured.”

Eli stood gingerly, pretending he’d messed up his ankle again. Thrawn held out his hand to deftly lift the young servant to his feet. The youth hurriedly set to work cleaning up the mess. Eli couldn’t help but feel guilty. 

“Yes, yes of course,” the Counselor said with a smirk. “Please, take your time. After your adventure yesterday, I daresay you might want to rest here for the day.”

Eli laid a hand on the youth’s shoulder. “Perhaps the Healer’s hut for you, as well.”

The Saurian began to protest but Thrawn insisted, leaving the young male and the Counselor no choice but to let him go, inadvertently giving him the day off and out of the palace. The Counselor strode away and before Thrawn could ask, Eli took his hand and led him around a corner and into an empty room.

“I need to tell you something,” he said in a hushed tone as soon as he’d closed the door. 

“I figured,” Thrawn said simply.

Eli stepped closer to him so he could speak quietly and explained what he’d overheard. 

“A shipment of what?”

“I don’t know,” Eli told him. “But it’s obvious they want to keep it under wraps.”

“I see.”

Thrawn walked to the window and clasped his hands behind his back, gazing out at the village while Eli stood patiently trying to riddle out what the Chiss could possibly be thinking. But he never spoke. He just stood there silently. 

Time was ticking. 

“You're debating calling for troops,” Eli muttered. 

“Yes,” Thrawn said softly, half turning. 

Eli nodded once. Backup was always a good idea. But time was still ticking and there was no guarantee that whatever was in those shipments wouldn’t cause massive problems for them later on. They had to act now. Thrawn didn’t seem to be coming to a conclusion very quickly, though, so Eli made it for them. 

“We don’t have time,” he said urgently. “Something is going to happen in…” he did a quick calculation. “Thirty-eight minutes. I’m sure of it. We have to go.”

He stared at Thrawn’s back, pausing for a moment to acknowledge that it hadn’t been long since he’d stormed away from him, swept away by chagrin and fear. And yet here they were, strategizing and working together as if nothing had happened.

Mission first, whatever this was… after. 

“You can call for troops while en route,” Eli told him. The Chiss turned to him and Eli couldn’t stop the small grin that snuck across his face. “Just in case.”

As smoothly as they were working together now, something _had_ happened. And Eli doubted they’d ever be able to return to the way things were before. Perhaps now things would be… better. 

So much between them was left unsaid, but it would have to stay that way a little longer. 

Thrawn nodded once. “Then let us go.”  



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thrawn's fine, really. But nevertheless, Eli won't leave him behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains what I’d classify as graphic depictions of violence and injury. Be warned. I’ve never written a gore/war scene, so fingers crossed this works.

  
Dodging any officials, Thrawn and Eli hurried through the halls of the hut palace with their packs slung over their shoulders. Eli skidded to a halt before a glass box just inside the main entrance, a silver and black slab of stone resting inside. He frowned at it. It looked... _familiar._

Thrawn poked his head around the corner and whispered urgently. “Ensign.”

The human quickly snapped an image of the indecipherable plaque beside the box, planning to translate it on their way to the factory. Thrawn had called for their shuttle, along with a squadron of stormtroopers, but they currently had no transport readily available. So Thrawn did what any Imperial officer trying to avoid local government officials would do.

Hidden from sight behind the palace hut, Eli held his tongue as Thrawn tapped the ignition wires of the small and outdated vehicle, sending sparks into the air. The engine roared to life and they hopped in, speeding off in the direction of the factory compound.

Eli waited while his device translated the Saurian script, tapping his foot impatiently against the floor of the vehicle as Thrawn expertly steered them through the jungle, narrowly missing one large tree after the other. It was still early, and his datapad hadn’t been out in the heat all day so with any luck, it would decipher the wording before dying on him again. 

“Ensign,” Thrawn began, his voice laced with tension. “I feel now is an appropriate time-”

Eli held up an urgent hand. “Apologies, Commander.” 

The download had finished and his eyes began frantically skimming the Basic translation. 

Thrawn, after all his years in the Empire, possessed an impeccable ability to interpret even the slightest shift in human expression, although Eli doubted he’d need the skill to decipher the blatant panic on his face. 

“What is it?” Thrawn asked quietly, guiding the rickety vehicle around a bend which gave way to the building in the distance, jutting up from the planet’s surface. 

“That stone you were searching for,” Eli began. “It’s not a stone, it’s a metal. And the people don’t deem it sacred, they fear it. It’s completely unstable.”

“Explosive,” Thrawn's voice was deep and deadly.

Nodding, Eli held out his device, indicating the location and readout of the largest quantity of the mineral.

Thrawn glimpsed the image before his eyes flicked to Eli’s. “Beneath the factory.”

“But then why would the islanders build it there?” 

“For the same reason they requested that the mainlanders supply their own workers.” 

The sickening realization made Eli’s blood run cold, anxiety coursing through him with menacing foreboding. 

“You don’t think that shipment-”

“I do.”

Thrawn, careful not to park too close, shut down the speeder as it skid to a stop on the outskirts of the factory. Not that it mattered. If it blew, Eli couldn’t begin to estimate the magnitude of the damage that would be done. 

They waved down a human security guard, who eyed them suspiciously as they approached. 

“Who is in charge here?” Thrawn asked the worker. 

The man glimpsed Thrawn’s insignia plaque. “You.” 

Eli rolled his eyes. People always feared Imperial officers. Add the fact that Thrawn was alien and people practically ran from them. “Your foreman,” he pressed.

Thrawn stepped closer to the building, ignoring them both as he looked it over with battle ready intensity, scanning its base and outer doors for any sign of unusual movement. “Have your men evacuate the building immediately.” 

“Sir?”

“Do what he says,” Eli said firmly. 

He moved to stand at Thrawn’s side, eyeing the building as well. He caught sight of one of the Saurian’s he’d overheard back at the palace, slinking behind a large crate near the west entrance. 

“Commander-“

That was all the heads up Thrawn needed. He started forward, barking orders over his shoulder. “Get your men out of that building,” he told the factory worker. “Ensign.” Eli perked up. “Stay here.”

_What?_

The Chiss rushed forward to Eli’s dismay and confusion, leaving him behind. The factory alarm began to blare, red lights flashing at the exits as workers began to pour out. Whatever Thrawn’s reasoning, Eli wasn’t about to let him head into danger alone. He had a bad feeling about this and Eli had long since come to terms and accepted a singular fact: they were in this together. 

He took one step forward and witnessed it all as if through a distorted lens in slow motion. A fiery plume erupted from the side of the building, clawing out half of the infrastructure and sending chunks of duracrete and steel into oblivion. The shockwave rippled through the dirt beneath his feet as the ground shook, the violent roar penetrating his eardrums with such force he was robbed of all sound. 

Eli focused on Thrawn at the last second, and watched as the blast’s energy catapulted him through the air, landing him on his stomach. The human’s feet left the ground and he was flung onto his back as the air left him in a grunt of pain. He lay there, unmoving. Only the groans and gasps of discomfort escaping his lips. He managed to get to his knees, narrowed eyes blinking through the dust and smoke and falling debris. He coughed, frantically searching the grounds for a sign of anyone else. 

The muted sounds slowly returned in the form of muffled cries and screams. Aftershocks of the explosion vibrated the ground as pieces of the compound swung from shards still attached, before falling from the framework.

Eli blinked, slowly rising to his feet and barely registering the gaping hole in the ground that was once half of the nearly completed factory. He spotted a figure stirring on the ground, several yards from where Thrawn had been standing. As quickly as he could he raced over, dread and fear coursing through him fast and hotter than the ashen, smokey air. Thrawn was getting to one knee just when Eli arrived at his side. A wave of relief washed over him as he knelt beside him, hooking an arm around his waist to help him stand.

A heavy and pained groan escaped the Chiss and Eli instantly released him, retreating a few inches to let him stand on his own, unsure what he’d done wrong. But as more of the smoke cleared and Thrawn stood properly, he saw what damage had been done. 

“Thrawn…” he choked out in disbelief as he gingerly lifted the shredded fabric of his Imperial uniform to reveal the blistered and scorched expanse of his back. Fragments of blue skin hung from his body and a river of raw flesh wound itself around crater-like impressions that served as ugly roadblocks across his back. 

“I am fine, Ensign,” he said, stiff and unconvincing. A look of intense pain shot across his face, sharp as a dagger every time he tried to move. Eli had been under the impression that Chiss possessed an exceptionally high pain tolerance. Although Thrawn’s expressions alluded to severe agony, anyone else would still be laying flat on their face, let alone able to speak. 

“Like hell you are,” Eli argued, fighting back the nausea at the sight of the mangled flesh. 

He looked around, spotting multiple survivors making their way from the wreckage, wobbling unsteadily and clinging to their peers for support. 

“I will be fine,” Thrawn reassured him as the troopers he had summoned finally arrived and rushed to his side. 

Eli stood back as they rattled off damage reports and details of what had happened, who had been inside, and if they were able to catch anyone fleeing the scene before or after the explosion. All Eli could ascertain ten minutes later was that no one had been caught, and Thrawn was lucky to be alive. He continued to search the area for a medic, watching as Thrawn swayed every now and then, but could not find one in the chaos and confusion. 

In the distance he heard the sound of emergency response vehicles hurrying to the scene. Overhead, fireships swooped in, dousing the smoking rumble with flame retardant and streams of high powered water. A shuttle touched down near them, whipping up the dirt and debris that littered the ground. 

Thrawn hobbled over to Eli, who’d been standing off to the side, his arms crossed and openly expressing his displeasure at Thrawn’s lackluster concern for himself. 

“Ensign, I believe that shuttle is for you. Please board immediately-”

“What?” Eli retorted, making a disgusted face. “No.”

“Excuse me?”

“Not without you,” Eli said strongly. “You need medical attention and I’m not leaving unless you come with me to seek it.”

“That is an order, Ensign-“

“All do respect, sir, but as your aide it’s my job to ensure you’re prepared to perform optimally and you are not currently in a position to-“

“Eli-“

“What if you keel over right here! How much help would you be to those under your command-“

“I am coming with you.” 

“And what if this area is attacked again - wait, what?”

Thrawn cautiously swung an arm around his shoulders to lean on him for support. “I presume by not making it an order, you will do as I ask and help me to the shuttle?”

A short laugh escaped Eli. “Yes, sir.”  



	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli's not a medic, but he pretends to be for Thrawn.

  
Thrawn had turned down medical attention on their trip to the mainland, volunteering his aide to help heal him instead. Eli was not a medic, but he had a handful of cleaning ointments and utensils in his pack and once they arrived and were set up in temporary quarters, he began to work on cleaning up his commanding officer. 

Thrawn lay face down on the table in the main living space, as Eli first carefully peeled back the wrinkled pieces of dead skin, then cut them away and set them in a bowl off to the side. Once all the charred flesh was removed, he brought out the cleansing liquid. 

“This um…” he said reluctantly. “This might sting a bit.” 

Thrawn’s grip on the edge of the table grew stronger and beads of sweat shone on his forehead as Eli poured the antiseptic across his back.

“Sorry,” he muttered, cringing sympathetically when Thrawn dug his teeth into the skin of his wrist, moaning as the stuff pooled and bubbled in the deepest fissures. 

Eli ran his fingernails soothingly along Thrawn’s arm. Once they received some bacta, the healing process would significantly speed up and he would be alright. Unsurprisingly, neither one of them trusted a Saurian or human on this planet and were therefore waiting for more supplies from the _Thunder Wasp._

“Ensign,” Thrawn said softly. 

“Yes, Commander?”

Thrawn’s expression contorted in pain, but then relaxed. “Are you alright?”

Eli’s brow furrowed and Thrawn caught the look. “You were also thrown from the blast, were you not?”

The human’s expression relaxed, and a small, consoling smile took the frown’s place. He warmed at the thought that Thrawn, laying in pain and hardly able to move, was worried about him. “Yes, sir. I am just fine.” 

His heart broke at the small twitches and bitten off hisses of discomfort from Thrawn, indicating that the antiseptic was doing nothing for the pain. He brought out his comlink again, just when there was a knock at the door. He opened it to see Senior Lieutenant Hammerly in the doorway. 

“Morning, Ensign,” she greeted him.

Morning? Was it morning already? 

She stepped in and walked to Thrawn’s side as he tried unsuccessfully to raise up on his elbows. 

“Careful, Commander,” she told him softly. Eli could see it in her eyes that she worried for him. She scanned his wounds before turning to Eli, handing over the pack she carried in. “You’ll probably need it all.”

She and Thrawn made eye contact and he tried for a reassuring expression.

“Thank you for making the trip,” he said.

Hammerly smiled at him. “I’m just here to make sure you don’t die. I have 100 men and women who would have my head if I brought back that news.”

“You alone cannot determine the time and place-“

Hammerly laid a silencing hand on his arm. “I was joking, Commander.”

She glanced in Eli’s direction. “You are more than well cared for here. Call if you need anything further.”

She pulled Eli aside. “I wouldn’t tell him now, but perhaps later you can be the one to inform him that the Counselor’s Hut was destroyed.”

Eli’s eyes widened. 

“Apparently the humans who gave the building as a gift had also planted explosives,” she told him. “It’s… not good.”

Eli gaped at her. If they hadn’t decided to take off toward the factory, he and Thrawn would’ve been in the palace at the time of the explosion. 

“What about the palace workers?” Eli asked. “There were tons of Saurian’s inside.”

“I don’t know,” Hammerly said with a small, defeated shrug. “I mean… they were each willing to destroy whatever they needed to just to prove a point. The death toll keeps rising, humans and Saurian’s.”

Eli breathed out, heavy and helpless.

“Anyway,” Hammerly continued. “We’re out of commission until Thrawn recovers, so take your time.” 

Kind of her, Eli thought. But with the direction this planet was headed in, he wanted to get off of it as soon as possible. She tossed Thrawn a quick look over her shoulder, looked back to Eli, winked, and left the room. Eli stared after her, wondering if it was just coincidence or if he was really that obvious. 

“Ensign,” Thrawn called weakly, his voice tight. 

The human jumped and hurried over, pulling the packs of bacta from Hammerly’s bag and setting them beside Thrawn on the table. 

“This will help,” Eli told him softly. “And it should numb the area so…”

He ripped open the bag with his mouth and drained pack after pack onto Thrawn’s wounds until his blue skin shone from the healing ointment instead of layers of new flesh. Thrawn moaned in appreciation as the numbing agent activated. Eli delicately spread the cool, soothing substance over his back with tender care. Thrawn’s shoulders relaxed, his hands fell from the edge of the table, and his head turned to the side so he could watch the human as he worked. 

Eli slowly smeared the ointment back and forth with an expert touch, tilting his head a little to the side as if the rhythmic motion was just as soothing and relaxing for him. He must have caught the glow from Thrawn’s eyes because he glanced in his direction and gave him a small, encouraging smile.

“Have you done this before?” Thrawn spoke softly.

Eli started. “Um… well, yeah, actually.”

Thrawn tried to look back at him but grimaced at the uncomfortable twisting of his raw flesh and stopped, laying his head gently back down on the table.

“I, um…” Eli began quietly. “I had a boyfriend when I was younger, before Myomar, who was… pretty reckless. He used to get injured a lot so I’d patch him up quite a bit.” 

“Boyfriend?”

Eli shrugged. “Yeah like, a romantic interest-“

“I know what a boyfriend is,” Thrawn said. “You simply have never spoken of one before.”

“I know,” Eli said with a short chuckle. “It’s crazy to think I had a life before you.” 

He froze, shocked at his comfort in saying that. His eyes flicked to Thrawn’s to catch his reaction but the red orbs had already disappeared behind heavy lids. The human wiped his hands on a nearby towel and leaning forward, gently blew on the healing wounds. Thrawn let out another gratified sigh of relief and the tension seeming to evaporate from his body, the sweat on his forehead had dried and his breathing pattern returned to normal.

“Eli,” he began. Eli's heart did a strange flutter at the sound of his name on those lips. ”Before another life threatening event occurs, I would like to tell you,” Thrawn’s eyes opened and fixed on him. “When I am healed, and if you agree, I would very much like to be with you again. Without arousal inducing chemicals encouraging us to do so.”

Eli smiled sweetly, a faint blush brightening his cheeks. “I would like that as well.”

They shared a warm smile, full of promise and hope for the future. But there was something that had been on Eli’s mind for the last day or so and before they returned to their normal lives, he felt it necessary to address. Now was as good a time as ever.

“Do you believe what they said?” he asked in a soft voice. “The Saurian… about soulmates.”

Thrawn did not open his eyes. “I believe that every culture has their ancient tales and myths, passed down from generation to generation-“

“Yeah, I know, but...” Eli paused. “Do you believe what they said applies to us?”

Thrawn let out a long sigh, indicative of either his utter exhaustion or his exasperation with village folklore. Or possibly both. 

“Do I believe in soulmates, you mean?”

“Well?” Eli pressed.

The long, drawn out break in conversation was only interrupted by passing voices out in the hall. Eli waited impatiently for his answer. Thrawn was a private man, seldom sharing his personal beliefs, far less the beliefs of his people. Eli was able to coax out little tidbits of information here and there, but he knew, despite Thrawn’s trust in him, there were places in Thrawn’s heart that he wasn’t yet invited. 

“No, I do not.” 

Eli lowered his gaze and nodded, mostly to himself. Thrawn was too literal, too logical to believe in mystical happenings of the universe. Eli knew that, and therefore knew he shouldn’t have been surprised. 

“Although I hardly think that matters.” 

Eli frowned and looked up into red eyes, locked on his.

“What I feel for you now is no different than how I felt when we landed on Sauria.”

Blinking, Eli opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. What exactly was Thrawn saying? 

“I do not need mischievous island fruit or a tribe's ancient myths to tell me how I feel about you. If how I feel is what the Saurian call ‘soulmate’ then so be it, but that is not a notion my people choose to accept.” 

He let out another heavy, depleted exhale and Eli decided it best to leave him alone. Despite his restlessness in wanting to know more, he realized that if he didn’t let Thrawn heal, he might never find out. 

“Listen,” Eli softly murmured. “I’m going to leave so you can sleep a bit. I’ll check back in a little while.” 

He gathered up all the empty bacta packets and tossed them into the garbage. Then he cleaned what utensils he’d used and put them all back in his bag and out of the way. Their mission was over. They hadn’t caught the bad guys, but there was nothing more they could do. And there was so much he wanted to say to Thrawn, but now was not the time. 

“Eli.”

His voice still sounded stiff and it pained Eli to know he could do nothing more to help. Stepping closer to the table, he hovered his palm over Thrawn's back, searching for an area free of injury. Thrawn spoke again before his hand found a place to settle so he let it drop. 

“Where will you be?” he asked weakly. “In case I require your assistance.”

“Oh um… I guess-“

“Will you stay?”

Eli stared down at him, his eyes growing soft at the gentle request. 

“If it does not inconvenience you,” Thrawn added, scooting carefully across the table to make room for him. 

It was a hard, wooden dining room table with a few leftover drops of antiseptic and bacta shining on its surface, but at this moment it was perfect. And with Thrawn laying beside him, he couldn’t ask for more. 

He grabbed two pillows from the couch and curled up as best he could without actually touching the other man. 

“Thrawn?” he asked softly, venturing a go at the name and finding he liked the way it sounded. 

“Yes, Eli?” Thrawn responded with his eyes closed. 

“So… the Saurian’s,” he started, fluffing the pillow beneath his head before sinking back into it. “Do you think that was always their plan? To build the factory on top of their precious metal?”

“Always?” Thrawn repeated, eyes blinking open. “I cannot speak to ‘always.’ But that did seem to be their end goal.” 

Eli nodded. “In hopes that it would one day be blown to bits. That would send a message loud and clear that they would never have an alliance with the mainlanders.”

Thrawn sighed heavily before speaking. “Not to mention the mainlanders' message of their own.”

Eli winced. “Oh, you heard that, huh?”

“Yes. Their dislike for each other runs deep,” Thrawn said simply. “Their plans were… effective. Except they sacrificed the land and sea life to accomplish their individual goals.”

“Well, at least we know who did it,” Eli said, ever the optimist. “No one can be blamed except the locals.”

Thrawn’s tired eyes blinked twice before closing completely. He needn’t respond to that statement, for they both knew who would be blamed. 

Alas, another court martial it was.  



	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some smut and a conversation.

  
Eli didn’t know how long they’d been sleeping, but all grogginess left him the moment he sat up and caught sight of Thrawn’s back. 

It was half healed, already!

A short, elated sound, escaped him as he gently ran his fingertips over the area. There were a few lacerations still open, each well on their way to healing. One, maybe two more rounds of bacta, and he’d be good as new. 

The Chiss stirred, groaning uncomfortably as he lifted his hips and worked a single hand between himself and the table. Eli watched in curiosity before realizing what Thrawn was doing.

_Ooh._

Red eyes blinked open. “Hello, Eli.”

“Hey,” Eli replied, clearing his throat. ”How are you - whoa...”

Thrawn was already trying to prop himself up, experimentally twisting left and right before pushing himself up fully to sit back on his heels. Eli slid off the table to stand next to him, watching his face for any signs of discomfort.

“How’s it feel?”

Thrawn breathed in fully, stretching his arms over his head — 

And hissed, curling back in.

“Well, you’re not fully healed yet,” Eli admonished him with his hands on his hips.

Thrawn shot him a look of fake annoyance before a good-natured grin took its place. He did a double take, his gaze resting appraisingly on him as his kind smile faded just a little.

“You have freckles.”

Eli laughed, a faint blush appearing beneath those freckles. “Well, yeah. What? You’ve never noticed before?”

“Perhaps I did not allow myself to process the…” he trailed off and looked down at his lap. “fact.”

He let out a frustrated sigh at the tented material between his legs. Eli licked his lips at the sight, vaguely remembering what it felt like and very much thinking they both needed a refresher of the event, in which their memories would remain intact. Eli wanted to recall every touch, every sound, every second. 

He slowly crawled back onto the table in front of Thrawn, who watched him with a mischievous smirk. Eli scooted closer, until they sat kneecap to kneecap. Human hands moved to Thrawn’s thighs, gently kneading the strong muscles there.

“Can I kiss you?” Eli whispered.

“Please do,” came Thrawn's quiet approval. 

Within the breadth of a heartbeat, Eli was up on his knees, hands in Thrawn’s hair, practically trying to climb into his lap but because of their awkward position, he was unable to do so, so he settled for kneeling above him. 

Eli’s shirt was gone within seconds. He slid off the table to remove his pants and briefs, kicking both garments off to the side and turning back to Thrawn with a hungry look in his eyes. The table creaked beneath him when he jumped back up, reaching for the clasp of Thrawn’s trousers with two eager hands as their lips met once more. The Chiss stood on his knees, holding either side of Eli’s face as he kissed him deeply, allowing Eli to work his trousers down around his hips. He shimmied them over the curve of his ass, careful of any unhealed burns or ones he’d missed.

“Hold on,” Eli said breathlessly. Scooting off the table and padding toward the door, he activated the locking mechanism and hurried back. He worked Thrawn's bottoms and briefs down the rest of the way, almost slipping on them in his haste to get back onto the table.

“How long do we have?” Thrawn asked as Eli’s mouth crushed against his, teeth scraping just enough. 

“No idea,” Eli breathed. “You’re the boss, however long we want, I suppose.” He pulled back, looking Thrawn over once, noting how his posture still held tension. “This might be kinda tricky.”

Thrawn smirked. “We have overcome more difficult situations.”

And with that gentle encouragement, Eli grew firmer between his legs, biting his bottom lip in anticipation. He reached up and drug his fingernails painlessly down Thrawn’s neck and chest and abdomen, drawing a gratified sigh from the Chiss. He ducked his head to take his dark blue shaft into his mouth, moaning around it as he squeezed Thrawn’s thighs where his hands were. Thrawn’s little cues from above spurred him on as he greedily mouthed along his length, pressing forward until the blunt tip hit the back of his throat, and when Thrawn knit his fingers in Eli’s hair and let out a low groan, a rather self-indulgent thought crossed Eli’s mind. In this moment of vulnerability, something so seemingly unnatural for Thrawn, Eli controlled a small piece of this brilliant man. Owning his pleasure, completion and utter ruin and sharing in the delight of total surrender. 

As wonderful as this act was, Eli needed him inside of him, needed to _feel_ him, and needed him to know it was something he truly wanted. He pulled off with a wet popping sound, wiping hastily at the corner of his mouth. Unfolding, he suddenly stared in awe at Thrawn. 

A patchwork of elaborate neon blue, sharply angled lines decorated the Chiss’s chest, snaking their way along his sides and down his abdomen, glowing as bright as his eyes. Eli silently ran a finger along one of them, tracing it across his built chest and down his lean torso lower and lower...

His eyes lifted to Thrawn’s and the Chiss glanced down at his brightly adorned frame. “Do you like it?”

Eli blinked, a small smile absentmindedly spreading across his face at the beauty before him; a mating display of some kind. Eli looked him over once more, realizing that the pattern was an intricate design specific to Thrawn. He’d never seen another Chiss’s mating display, but he knew this one was the most beautiful. 

“I love it,” he whispered when he lifted his eyes once more. 

If Thrawn could blush, he was sure the faint purple shading that spanned his cheekbones would be a sure indicator. When their lips found each other again, Thrawn wrapped his arm around the small of his back and pulled his hips close to his so that Eli was straddling him. He shifted and laid them both down with Eli beneath him, a small grunt escaping at the bending of his back.

Eli stopped him with a hand on his chest. “I can be on my knees if that’s easier. That way I can help-”

“No,” Thrawn growled. He looked back and forth between his brown eyes. “I would like to see you. Properly this time.” He kissed him once more. “If that is alright with you.”

Eli chuckled. “Alright with me? Stars, Thrawn, it’s more than alright.”

And so Thrawn took him like that, first with saliva-slicked fingers, stretching and twisting perfectly in preparation. Leaning down to kiss him sweetly, Thrawn stroked his own cock with a few hurried passes to grow harder in his hand before lining himself up. Eli’s mouth fell open at what felt like the first time, the _true_ first time, that Thrawn was inside him. 

It was agony not to claw at his back, not to pull him in closer when he sank in deep. Thrawn rocked slowly, beginning with a carefully measured pace for Eli’s sake and unsure how his own recovering body would react. Eli didn’t recall him being so big, his breath hitching with every breach of his body. 

“Oh _Gods_ , Thrawn,” Eli mewled when Thrawn began to speed up. “That’s perfect, right there.” 

It was difficult, though, and more than once Eli barely stopped himself from grabbing at Thrawn’s scarred back, a low, uncomfortable groan escaping the Chiss every now and then. Thrawn, acknowledging there had to be a more efficient way of doing this, slowed, and before he said a word Eli read his mind and started to move away from him. 

“Here,” the human said, gently guiding Thrawn to stand to the side of the table. He flopped back down onto his back and spread his legs once more, holding them apart with his arms hooked underneath. “There, now I'm the perfect height and you don’t have to bend over.”

Thrawn looked him over, at his sly grin that was both sensual and playful, exactly how he imagined Eli would be. He savored the small gasp from Eli’s mouth when he reentered, sliding in one agonizing inch after the other. 

Eli tried his best not to wrap his legs around Thrawn to pull him in deeper. 

“More, Thrawn,” he pleaded, writhing below him, his human cock pulsating with need, his breath coming in rapid pants. “Please, _more.”_

With that, the Chiss picked up a new rhythm, plunging deep and filling Eli with every wild thrust that he brought to bear on the human’s body. Shock prevented any sound from escaping Eli’s lips as Thrawn’s cock, thick and throbbing, brushed against the bundle of nerves deep inside of him, ricocheting pleasure throughout his body. Thrawn ran his palm along a tan, human thigh, dipping beneath to grab a handful of his ass as their mouths collided. The tight skin of his back screamed in protest with every hard thrust, but he didn’t dare stop. 

Every muscle of Eli’s body began to contract, his stomach coiled tight with urgency and desire. He couldn’t differentiate pain from pleasure, they blended together so wonderfully as Thrawn fucked him until he knew nothing but him, nothing but this. 

“Thrawn, don’t stop…” he desperately moaned into the Chiss’s open mouth, hooking his leg around Thrawn’s thigh in lieu of wrapping it around his back. _“Please,_ don’t stop.”

All of Thrawn’s senses blew open, surrounded by the tight heat of his panting partner, driving into the human as fast and hard as his healing body would allow. 

It was enough. 

Blissful agony ripped through every cell of Eli’s being, warm liquid shooting from the tip of his cock as he came after three more jerks of Thrawn’s hips, unexpected and untouched, shouting a litany of curses to the steady rhythm of Thrawn working himself to completion. 

“Fill me, Thrawn,” Eli whined, as Thrawn’s nails dug into his thighs.

A choked gasp erupted from Thrawn’s throat in the shape of Eli’s name as his body went rigid and ribbons of hot cum coated the human’s insides. Breathing heavily, utterly spent and completely exhausted, Thrawn laid himself gingerly on top of Eli, attempting to keep his sweaty chest off of him as he held himself up on his elbows, but Eli wrapped his arms around him, around his neck to avoid any tender spots, and held him there, close to his chest so he could feel his heart pounding in time with his. He kissed Thrawn’s sweaty brow, comforting the still quivering Chiss in his arms. Thrawn craned his neck upwards to return the kiss, sweet and warm, before carefully pulling out. 

After a few calming minutes of just laying there, Eli got dressed and quickly bustled about, cleaning the table before Thrawn laid back down. Eli applied more bacta and once he was finished, he sat in a chair beside Thrawn and held the hand that was dangling off the side of the table.

“Thrawn,” Eli murmured, unsure if the Chiss was awake as his eyes had been closed for some time. A deep rumble indicated his consciousness.

“You said earlier that your people don’t believe in soulmates?” Eli began quietly. 

“I did.”

“Does that…” Thrawn blinked his eyes opened and Eli paused, then hesitantly drew invisible lines across his chest with his index finger in a sloppy crisscross pattern. “Do the designs on your skin have anything to do with that?”

Thrawn smiled a little, perhaps at Eli’s unceremonial finger waving as he tried recreating what was likely a sacred Chiss attribute.

“Indirectly.”

Eli nodded. “Is this one of those things I’ll have to figure out on my own?”

“You are more than capable-”

“It’s ok, you don’t have to tell me,” Eli said, smiling. As much as he wanted to know, he wouldn’t be surprised if Thrawn told him nothing more. “But if you don’t, I’ll just have to assume this all only happened because of the melons.”

A short chuckle brightened Thrawn’s usually impassive features. 

“Definitely not,” Thrawn said. He sighed heavily before speaking again. “The Chiss view the notion of soulmates as… unrealistic. It refers to the idea that the fated pair are drawn to each other through inevitable circumstances without the participants conscious choice in partners.”

Eli held his breath, pleasantly surprised that Thrawn was sharing something so personal with him. He, himself, was still on the fence about how he viewed the notion of soulmates, but he didn’t mind listening to Thrawn’s perspective. In fact, he could listen to that man talk about anything all day. 

“‘Soulmates’ suggests they are forced together, more or less unwillingly, falling idle to the whims of the universe and what it has planned for them,” he explained. “Chiss believe in forging one’s own path, making choices and decisions the way a warrior would, not leaving their destiny to chance, not allowing themselves to relinquish control.”

Eli smirked, never knowing Thrawn to not be in control of a situation. 

“My choice is you, Eli,” Thrawn whispered as his red eyes bore into his. Eli’s smile vanished and his heart jumped into his throat. “It always has been… from the very beginning.”

The human remained silent, completely at a loss for how to respond to that admission. Everything his mind came up with just sounded lame in comparison.

Thankfully, Thrawn continued. “That is where Chiss Life Lines become relevant.” 

Eli nodded, finding himself leaning in closer as Thrawn spoke. “And they appear…”

Thrawn eyed him, waiting for him to finish his sentence, but Eli let the statement hang. 

“When we are aroused,” Thrawn finished for him.

“Ah,” Eli said, feeling the heat creep into his cheeks.

“That is not all,” Thrawn said. “The lines reveal themselves when Chiss partner with a suitable match, not just anyone.” 

“Oh,” the human said, swallowing. “Is there only one suitable match?”

“No,” Thrawn said casually. “There can be more than one.”

Eli nodded, trying to appear nonchalant. “So it’s happened before?”

Again, Thrawn sighed, his cheek pressed against the wood of the table. “No, not for me.”

Eli didn’t even have time to blush as Thrawn continued speaking. “It was my understanding that when you said you found mine attractive, you were choosing me as well,” Thrawn pulled his hand out of Eli’s and propped himself up on his elbows to better face him. “I did not wish to explain in the moment, but if I was wrong in assuming that...” 

Eli looked down at his hands, thinking of the many times he could have walked away. He could have left the Navy, he could have taken up Culper’s offer. There were ways he could have left Thrawn’s side, but he hadn’t, choosing to stay year after year. 

“You weren’t wrong,” Eli said to the clasped hands in his lap before raising his eyes to Thrawn’s. “I’ve already chosen you, time and time again, and I have no intention of choosing otherwise.”

A gentle, almost relieved curve graced Thrawn’s lips.

“Where I come from,” Eli said, with a small shrug. “We call that love.” 

Thrawn lazily lifted a shoulder and lowered himself back to his stomach. “Love also alludes to some form of obligatory responsibility. For a Chiss there is something far stronger. Something that is a conscious choice, something that binds two beings together in a way that only a warrior might understand.”

Eli frowned. “What is that?”

Thrawn gave him another kind smile. “My people are proud warriors. Can you then think of the most difficult thing for a Chiss?”

“Losing?” Eli suggested with a carefree shrug. 

“Surrendering,” Thrawn gently corrected. “Surrender, while an advantageous strategic maneuver in its own right, is not an easy concept to accept, especially for a Chiss. In surrendering ourselves to another, we sacrifice our own wellbeing for the other’s. Do you understand?”

If nothing else, the memory of Thrawn running into potential danger and requesting that he stay behind to keep him safe was enough to help him understand. 

“Yeah, I think so,” Eli said, nodding. “Doesn’t sound very glorious, though.”

“On the contrary,” Thrawn said with a sparkle in his eye. “It is an honor.” 

Eli remained silent, taking a moment to let it all sink in and feeling incredibly fortunate to get a glimpse into the mysterious Chiss. He wondered when he could witness that jagged blue pattern again, knowing it had never appeared for anyone before him.

“But if it pleases you,” Thrawn’s voice broke into his thoughts and their eyes met. “We can blame the melons.”

Eli just laughed. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! The last few weeks have been utter madness for me, but I kept being drawn to this fic and just… wrote. Balancing real life and fic writing has proven unexpectedly difficult, but this one in particular helped me remember why I enjoy writing in the first place. This is honestly one of my favorite fics I’ve written so far, so thanks again for reading. <3 Now I'm off to read Chaos Rising fourteen times. (Maybe fifteen.)


End file.
